Belt conveyer



Aug. 20, 1946. c, ANDERSON 2,406,279

' BELT CONVEYER Filed May 28, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR.

[J22 2122?: 6. rza ezxiazz Patented Aug. 20,1946 I 't l 2 406 279 y yThis invention relates i to'gcertain new a d! 1 .5.furimproyementsinrlinirbeltconveyers;and mere imprqved constrnetions Apa'rticularlyto conyeyersziofvthisvitype:inw which of; sofitgmateriel,tor example: the belt-is: co'mpo'sedofi asseries of plate element'struded;1i}rem the BQQB SE'S of the lin e; flx'edztooneor'morerchainlinkrelements:perse ts) 5 fonei-theeomesl-ryandhamiJ 1'formron'e' pivotaliy connectedunit of the eon-veyerp Another object ofthe invent v e 'In the: type of conveyer-to which this; inventiondeYices; of;this typeeinsunelry e1 5 her er appertains, the plateelements of the conveyer t6d.0ll-:The plefer ed 1. 163 5, byw lph ,19are overlappedsoas toprovide a continuous belt.'severeolqjectshayeheeniattainedere 11 at 7 Also thechem-rlink elementsSQFOldiherily 10' in the queen-ream ng d m v'veonsist'ofshacedrside-barstfotrhedintQflM y w 1 s -i i e e ew f o the:bottom i surface of their associated plate elei ing b l f ye emb i -fiih6 merit andfthe-r cess formewtheneby forreceiving struetion, w-ithsome oi th' part broke the-toothof:eu'drivingrsprocket i closed Qnha-Hclearness of illustration. e sidesexcept where thesprqchet-teothentersthe .15 r Figise side faceyi ew. of .oneqfrtheprecess; 1 i v t anqiportien of thelin$ ggnriegtgdtConsidereblewqifiieulty h s b enexpe-rienced pgs itiqnetqthe spfopket,being shown 0 heretofore .by-' ea ;1of t te' t' t eua de ePlrnler ed e tw th smile Qt t of material find lodgment in the said close I t'on. f ic'esse formed by the plate and chain link side 20 F g isiraementaryview,"

bars. .The vmateriethmay 'be' thebulk materiel Q q v 1 1m ShQ-Wm in?theme being handled by the con-Veyer or it may be from parts ithrefls'pe ti q eacnether.

other sources, forexample; rain or -snow;; If there tl l dn" 0 Vi W o Qis an accumulationof such i-materials retained h m y- 5-: T landgraduaily built up in the recesses iavthe inner 25 renews Q th iiiee nfaces of the plate ofthe links, such materials fig- .5 is a yeli't arecompressed more or less-fin the-recesses lay Setaq t ll yai t ne H p tf, theaction-ofthe teeth ofthe'sproekets. as-seen Re fling new "t the rseverel .flen es of e masses of I'foreign' matter buildup inwtherecesses, they become more and: moresl-ikely to; inter'fene with theeasy operation of thercom eyen v In the use of conveyers of thistyperout Qfadoors during .thewinter season, the trouble :is particularlybard,- in that :an- -a.-ceumul atien of ice or snow may be built up-in';the= reeesse and; therefore; v must be cleaned out manually :befere theeon-y veyer'c'ambe used. 1

I It "is the object of the present invention to pro'e vide an improvedconstruction and arrangement by realso'n of "which the-operation of theoonveyer serves to, force 'outthe accumulated material :so .as tozput:the conyeyer z-in condition .=f0r effective operation,- To this end, aconstruction has be'en provided by' *which pressure is appliedeffectively on any substantial masses 'of foreign -rnaterial in therecesses "on the inner facesof the links so as tdbreakup such masses. Inthis connection the invention" includes the provision-of a cl -ttingele;ment positioned to cooperate with the'teeth of fie sprocketrto break up-the-hard:material, openings I I being provided. preferably in-the-sidewalls-of-the recesses in close proximity to the points where thepressure is applied to themeterialtso :asrto force the broken upmaterialJatereIlyout ofapgsitionr in the r cesses- 1 I i gs, in w esponnepei 's to, and that the sleeves serve a bearings for wardly a'substantial distance for holding in po-- sition on the plate thematerial being handled by the-.conveyer. One end portion of each of theflanges'zl is preferably offset; transversely {with respect to theremaining portion of the" flange.

so that the flanges of adjacent link plates are adapted to overlap eachother fso a's to" prevent: the loss of material being handled. a I

'The inner face of each of the linkplates is provided at its centralportion with a cross flange" zz' rdrined integrallyjtherewith 1 forstrengthen ing thelink. 7 Other strengthening ribs are'pro vid'ed{eggtending longitudinally of the linkgincludin'gf-rib's 23and .24 ateachend portion of' the link, and ribs 25,26 and 21' at opposite facesofthecrossflange 22. Y a j 4 -;Means, is provided for supporting the topand bottom runs of l-the conveyer independently of thespr'ockets,Tll'iismeans comprises rollers 28 rotatably mounted on the encl,faces-'of v theflink platesjin position to Y engage supportmg rails'prbars K39 and suitably" supported by means comprising transversely'positioned lbeams 3| asshowninFig. 1, y H p Q N is indicated by'thedottedline showing 'of one of, the teeth I 5 of one of the sprocketwheels (seeFigIE), thejlink side b'ars l8 and l9"are in proper positionon the inner faces of the link plates 16 for receiving the teeth ofthesprocket wheels'therebetween;said side bars serving to hol t e 'co yeiinnormal operative, position transversely with, respect to thesprocketwheels 13. .LOneof thesidefbars [9 of one of thelink plates l6 isshowninI Fig. 2 with the bearing sleeves 20 of two adjacent plates l6 atopposite edges of the intermediate plate I 6 as shown. The plates l8pand l9 and the bearing sleeves 20 extending'the'rebetween form recesses32 on the inner faces of the link plates in position to receivetheteeth'lS of the sprocket wheels. "The said recesses 32 on the platesIS in the bottom run of theconveyerare of course open upwardly "so as toreceive anymaterial. falling from the top run of the conveyer ortoreceive snow or rain or any other foreign matter from any'source. Forenablin'g'such foreign matter to escape readily. from the pockets, theside bars I 8 and. [9 are provided with openi'ngs- 33 and34therethrough, as shown in connection with the side bar I 9 in gs V 2 I t1 Means is provided also for breaking up any masses of foreign materialaccumulated in such recesses. Such means comprise vcuttingelemi'ants35in th form of. ribs positioned between the side bars l8 and IS, withcomparatively sharp to the end of one of the sprocket teeth l5 asthe ofthe said plates 16 is passed on as outer face with two flanges 2| whichextend out;

;Iiclaim '1. A11 endless openings 33 and 34. It has been found inpractice that the above described arrangement of the ribs 35 relative tothe sprocket teeth provides an effective means for breaking up andremoving masses of ice or other'solid materials which accumulate in therecess 32 betweenthe chain side bars [8 9.

. While -t e form and-iaifangeifientof parts as shown and described arepreferred, the inven-. tion is not to be limited thereto except so faras the claims may be so limited, itbeing understood. :that changes mightwell be made in the form and V arrangement of the par-ts withoutdeparting from the s'pir'it'of the invention.

plete ly about the conveyen' sprockets about whichjsaid connected linkplates extend-,fland means carnied -by the plates adapted -b y movevotally connectedtogetherin-mutually overlap-'- V ment toward thesprockets upon operation 0f *'the conveyer to apply pressure for.breaking up ping'relationship'so asto forman effective seal linked unitof the conveyer moves about? the sprocket. The arrangement is such thatany extensive accumulation of foreign matter in any of the recessesispressed forcibly between. the rib 35 and thejend of a tooth l 5 so asto break np such mass of foreignmaterial and pressit along the sidefacesof the rib, and out through the completely about the conveyer; sprockets-about which said connectedlink platesextend, and'cut ting elementscarried bysaid plates adapted-by movement toward the teeth of thesprocketsto apply pressure for breaking up masses-of foreign matteraccumulatedmn ;the{ inner ifices fo adapted by movement toward 'theteethrto break up masses of foreign'matter accumulated on theinnerfacesoftheplates. I -':1 4.;An endless conveyer comprising incombination a series of links in the form of plates pivotally connectedtogether 'in'm'utuallyov'erlapping relationship'so as to formanieflective'seal completely about the"c'onveyer," sprockets about whichsaid connected links extend; bearings-on the inner faces of said platesforengagement with the teeth-of one of thesprockets'. for-driving theconveyer,- link side bars positioned at oppo site sides ofsaid'be'arings and' 'exten'din'g across said plate links "serving tohold'theconv'eyer in operative position transversely'with respect tosaid sprockets and having openingstherethrough for the escape of foreignmatter accumulated: between said link side bars, and means positionedintermediate the side bars and cooperating' with a sprocket tooth topress the material laterally through the openings in the side bars. 1'

51; 'An' endless conveyer comprising v1 in combi nation a seriesoflinksinthe form f plates piv otally connected together'in mutually-'overlapping relationship so as to form an; efictive seal completelyabout the conv'yer, sprockets about which said connectedlinks extend,bearingson conveyer comprising in combina- '1' tionza series of links inthe form of plates pivot.-

. ally connected together in mutually overlapping relationship so as toform an efiective seal comthe I withthe teeth of one of the sprocketsfor driving the conveyer, link side bars positioned at opposite sides ofsaid bearings and extending across said plate links serving to hold theconveyer in operative position transversely with respect to saidsprockets and having openings therethrough for th escape of foreignmatter accumulated between said link side bars, and rib locatedintermediate the side bars and extending lengthwise thereof andcooperating with a sprocket tooth upon the operation of the conveyer toapply pressure for breaking up masses of foreign matter accumulatedbetween said plates and to displace said material laterally through saidopenings.

6. An endless conveyer comprising in combination a series of links inthe form of plates pivotally connected together in mutually overlappingrelationship so as to form an effective seal completely about theconveyer, sprockets about which said connected links extend, bearings onthe inner faces of said plates for engagement with the teeth of one ofthe sprockets for driving the conveyer, link side bars positioned atopposite sides of said bearings and extending across said plate linksserving to hold the conveyer in operative position transversely withrespect to said sprockets and having openings therethrough for theescape of foreign matter accumulated between said link side bars, andcutting elements on the inner faces of the plate links in the spacesbetween said link side bars adapted by movement toward the teeth of thesprockets to break up masses of foreign matter accumulated between saidlink side bars.

'7. An endless conveyer comprising in combination a series of links inthe form of plates pivotally connected together in mutually overlappingrelationship so as to form an effective seal completely about theconveyer, sprockets about 6 which said connected links extend, bearingson the inner faces of said plates for engagement with the teeth of oneof the sprockets for driving the conveyer, link side bars positioned atopposite sides of said bearings and extending across said plate linksserving to hold the conveyer in operative position transversely withrespect to said sprockets and having openings therethrough for theescape of foreign matter accumulated between said link side bars, andcutting means in the form of ribs having ridges extending across thelink plates longitudinally of the conveyer opposite to the teeth of thesprockets adapted by movement toward the teeth of the sprockets to breakup masses of foreign matter accumulated in the recesses between saidlink side bars.

8. An endless conveyer comprising in combination a series of links inthe form of plates pivotally connected together in mutually overlappingrelationship, chain link elements each comprising two side bars inspaced relationship to each other at each end portion of each of thelink plates connected by a bearing sleeve adapted to fit betweencooperating bearing portions of the corresponding cross plates of theadjacent link plate, sprockets about which said connected link platesextend with the teeth of the sprockets extending between the chain linkside bars of the several link plates successively and engaging saidbearing sleeves in turn for driving the conveyer, said chain link sidebars having openings therethrough for the ready escape of foreign matteraccumulated between said link side bars, and cutting means on the linkplates between th link side bars in position to cooperate with the teethof the sprockets for breaking up masses of foreign matter accumulatedbetween the link side bars and for forcing it out through said openings.

EDMUND c. ANDERSON.

